Ferrari Dominates First Session of F1’s New Era in Melbourne

Image: from deni X @fiagirly

MELBOURNE, AU — The 2026 Formula 1 season roared to life at Albert Park this Friday, marking the official debut of the sport’s radical new technical regulations. Charles Leclerc led a Ferrari 1-2 in the first free practice session (FP1) of the Australian Grand Prix, signaling that the Scuderia may have gained an early advantage in the most significant engineering shift in a decade.

A New Era of Racing

The Melbourne session was the first public look at the 2026-spec cars, which feature smaller dimensions, active aerodynamics, and a revolutionary 50/50 power split between the internal combustion engine and the electrical system.

Charles Leclerc set the pace with a 1’20.267, nearly half a second clear of his new teammate, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. The result offered a dream start for the “dream team” pairing in their first official outing together in scarlet red.

obvio que é cedo para dizer, ainda mais se tratando de Ferrari, mas esse carro parece ter nascido bempic.twitter.com/lpSeOR8azD

— Estagiário da F1 (@EstagiariodaF1) March 6, 2026

Red Bull and the Rookies

Defending champion Max Verstappen finished third, showcasing the initial reliability of the new Red Bull Ford power unit. However, the story of the day was the surge of young talent on the grid:

• Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) and Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) rounded out the top five, underscoring a strong showing for the Red Bull stable.

• Gabriel Bortoleto impressed in his season debut for Audi, finishing 9th and outpacing his veteran teammate Nico Hülkenberg (10th).

• Kimi Antonelli took 8th for Mercedes, finishing just 0.005s behind George Russell.

Struggles and Reliability Issues

As teams grappled with the complex new power units, several veterans faced a difficult start. Lando Norris and Sergio Pérez languished in 19th and 20th, respectively, while the Aston Martin duo of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso failed to set competitive times due to apparent technical glitches.

FP1 Full Results: 2026 Australian GP